Fortaleza Añejo Winter Blend 2023
Fortaleza · Tequila Los Abuelos
Fortaleza's Winter Blend añejo showcases what happens when traditional tahona-crushed, brick-oven-roasted agave meets extended barrel aging. The Sauza family's fifth-generation expertise is evident in the balance between agave purity and oak influence. This is a tequila that asks to be sipped slowly and savored.
Nose
Rich cooked agave and butterscotch lead, with supporting notes of vanilla, roasted almond, and dark chocolate. A whisper of cinnamon and dried fruit emerges with air.
Palate
Full and lush, with caramel and oak framing the cooked agave core. Dark chocolate, honey, and baking spices create a dessert-like richness, while a gentle pepper heat prevents it from becoming cloying. The texture is velvety.
Finish
Extended and warming, with lingering butterscotch, toasted oak, and a faint smoke that recalls the brick oven. Clean agave sweetness persists through the fade.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (estate-grown, lowland Tequila Valley)
- Production
- Slow brick-oven roasted (30+ hours), tahona-crushed, natural fermentation, copper pot distilled
- Region
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow brick-oven roasted (30+ hours), tahona-crushed, natural fermentation, copper pot distilled
- Distillation
- Double distilled in small copper pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1493
- Additives Free
- Yes
Food Pairing
The deep, complex spice blend of mole negro resonates with the tequila's chocolate and cinnamon notes, while the sauce's slight bitterness balances the butterscotch sweetness.
Guillermo Sauza, a fifth-generation tequilero, built Fortaleza to honor his family's traditional methods—stone tahona crushing, copper pot distillation, and slow brick-oven roasting—at the original family distillery site in Tequila, Jalisco.
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